


Guardians of the New Earth

by Hedamoo



Category: Mass Effect, The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Femslash, M/M, Multi, School, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-05-28 12:53:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6329977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hedamoo/pseuds/Hedamoo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The year is 2236, approximately 50 years after the Reaper invasion and Commander Shepard's sacrifice. Earth is left to rebuild following the devastation of its major cities. Political, theological, and financial strife ravage the segmented people who once called the planet home. Furthermore, the destruction of the Mass Relays once again isolate humanity from the rest of the galaxy.<br/>In the midst of the chaos, the System Alliance Academy is the place where cadets are trained to become the next officers of the Alliance. They are trained to be the hopes and directions of humanity. Here, Clarke Griffin meets Lexa Woods and both girls are unaware of the roles they will play in each other's destiny. Will they figure it out and become guardians of the new Earth? Or will they plunge it into further chaos?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

“The next train is coming in 50 seconds.”

  
The announcement snaps Clarke Griffin out of her reverie. She looks up at the display in above the platform’s doors and then down at her Omni-tool, which is displaying 11:11AM. Supposedly, it is a time where you are supposed to keep your thoughts positive. Clarke smirks at the superstitious thought and hikes the straps of her backpack upward. She is ready to get going even though she has plenty of time until her flight at 12:30PM. She needs to visit a coffee place in the concourse and get herself some caffeine.

  
While waiting, Clarke takes a moment to check herself out in the reflected surface of the glass sliding door. Dressed for the short flight from Atlanta to Washington D.C., Clarke is looking comfy-chic. She sports a pair of jeans tucked into black heeled boots. A soft, blue knit top and a black down vest are appropriate for the fall weather. Her blonde, curly hair is pulled into a loose pony tail. A smile ghosted her lips, even though she was dressed way down, she still looks good.

  
As the Plane Train slows into the station, people starts to gather behind Clarke. Being the first person through the threshold, she gets to pick where she wish to stand, which is at one end of the vehicle. With her hand around one of the vertical poles, Clarke looks around and waits patiently for people to file into the car.

  
“Next stop, C-gates. C for Charlie.” The announcement starts after the doors slide shut.

  
Clarke steadies herself as the train lurches forward. Her eyes move toward the direction that she is traveling and that is when her attention is drawn by a girl in the next car. With all the movements and shifts of the train, it was hard for Clarke to clearly see past the two layers of plexiglass, but she is certainly intrigued. A girl, who seems to be around her age, is leaning against a pole while holding a book in one hand. Who reads hardcopies anymore in this day and age? This attractive creature who was a mere several feet away and facing Clarke. This is the very definition of so close, yet so far.

  
Clarke stares as she tries to make out the features of the girl. From what she could tell, this girl has long and wavy dark hair that has been pooled to one of her shoulders to reveal a long, delicate neck. She was wearing jeans and a long sleeve top with a flannel shirt tied around her waist, which looks to be slim. A backpack rests against her back. Clarke lifts up her Omni-tool to try and capture an image of this aloof stranger because she really wanted to paint the image of her later. But of course, the moment that the Omni-tool is in prime photo-capturing position, the train pulls into a stop and the stranger lifted her gaze from the book. Clarke froze.

  
From the other side of the barrier, the stranger closes her book and stares at Clarke, who was obviously trying to take her photo. Clarke opens her mouth to try to explain, but no word would come out, since she would be only talking to glass. Clarke’s eyes widen when the stranger’s face morphs into an accusatory frown. Clarke’s body reacts in the only sensible way. Since it has come this far, what harm would it do to take the photo now? Clarke quickly snaps the photo, then dodges out her own car and sprints all the way to her gate. She would rather go without coffee than risk the chance that the stranger would catch up to her. She does not look back to see if she is followed, nor does she slow down enough to get caught.

 

* * *

 

 

“Welcome and enjoy your flight.” The gate agent smiles at Clarke and she scans the boarding pass on Clarke’s Omni-tool. 

 

“Thanks.” Clarke nods and walks through the entrance to the covered ramp. After hiding at the corner of her gate area for the past forty-five minutes, Clarke releases her held breath as she becomes less nervous. The stranger did not come search for her after all. Her innards release their knots and she feels a ton lighter. Though, she mentally curses herself for her earlier embarrassment. 

 

“11B …” Clarke mutters with obvious distaste for the middle seat. “Hopefully the flight isn’t full …” She mutters as she stow away her backpack in the overhead bin after removing her sketch book and pencil.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, this flight is servicing travel from Atlanta to Washington D.C. Please quickly stow away your carryon and move to your seat. We do have a full flight today to D.C. So we need to clear the isle as quickly as possible to board everyone and get going.” 

 

Clarke sighs at her luck. She had hoped for a semi-empty flight so she could move to one of the two seats surrounding her. But, she only has herself to blame for booking the last minute and cheapest flight available. All other seats were either an upgrade or unavailable. Clarke Griffin was not about to pay some airline extra just for “preferred” seats. She is a girl with principles!

 

While people continue to stream into the plane, Clarke opens her sketch book to a new page. She pulls down the tray table and sets her tools on top. She closes her eyes for a second to bring the image of the stranger to the front of her mind. Her hand starts to move on their own as she visualize the way the stranger’s body leans against the pole and how detached she looked from the rest of the passengers. Clarke wishes she had a better look and more time to study her subject. Too bad the photo she took was one of an angry face instead of the aloof reader that she had hoped to paint.As the pencil scratches the page, someone lightly taps on Clarke’s shoulder, causing her to look up. 

 

Another pretty face was smiling at her. “Hey, can I get to that seat?” The girl points to the window seat. 

 

“Oh yeah, just a sec.” Clarke closes the tray table and hops out to the isle so this girl can get in.

 

“Thanks!” A cheerful wrinkle of her hazel-green eyes causes Clarke to smile along.

 

“You’re welcome.” Clarke mumbles as she sits back down. 

 

Window seat girl has already buckled her seat belt, so Clarke does the same. She pulls her tray table back down and waits for the signal to put it up again. With a plane this size, it is going to take a while to load, so Clarke has time to put down the details to her sketch while they are fresh in her memory. 

 

“Oh, are you an artist?” The girl next to her eyes the sketch curiously.

 

Clarke shakes her head, “It’s just a hobby, I don’t do enough to be considered an artist.”

 

“You’re being modest. I think anyone who can make art is an artist.” 

 

“I think a bit differently, it’s not worthy for me to be considered an artist … to be considered on the same level as someone who spends their entire life perfecting their art … I’m more of a fan … an enthusiast.”

 

“Ah … I see …” 

 

Clarke quickly takes in the pretty face next to her. Olive skin. Long dark hair. Beautiful eyes. This girl could be a successful model somewhere. She looks to be around Clarke’s age.

 

“I’m Octavia.” The girl assertively extends her hand toward Clarke. “Nice to meet you …?”

 

“Clarke. Nice to meet you, Octavia.” Clarke gently takes her her hand and gives it a good shake.

 

“So what do you do, Clarke, as a day job instead of art?” Octavia asks with an amused smile.

 

“Nothing.” Clarke shakes her head. “I just came back to Earth two weeks ago. After visiting some friends and family, I am heading to D.C. To start at the Alliance Academy tomorrow.” She tries to sound casual about being a soon-to-be Alliance Cadet.

 

“Oh wow!” Octavia’s eyes are wide with surprise. Clarke is pleased, thinking that the other girl must be impressed. “Me too!” Octavia exclaims. “I start tomorrow as well!”

 

It is Clarke’s turn to be surprised. For some reason, she did not peg this girl to be the Cadet type. Clarke opens her mouth and starts to respond, when a loud click announced the close of the luggage bin above them. Both Octavia and Clarke looked up to see a pair of green eyes so light, they appeared gray. Clarke gasps softly as she recognizes the newcomer as the stranger from the Plane Train. The glare that she is receiving certainly confirms it. The stranger looks at the opened page of the sketchbook before Clarke quickly closed it. Damn, she looks hotter than ever now that Clarke has a better look.

 

Swallowing hard, Clarke closes her tray table and tries to keep from meeting the stranger’s eyes. Her cheeks are burning with embarrassment and her heart is beating wildly. All her strange reactions certainly does not escape Octavia’s curious gaze, but the girl decides to mind her own business for a little while. Clarke almost died when the stranger sat down next to her in the isle seat and buckles her seat belt. At this time, Clarke realizes how good this girl smells. Seriously, what kind of luck did she have today? She’s sitting between two beautiful girls, though one of them hates her for being a stalker.

 

“So Clarke, how long have you been in space?” Octavia speaks first, breaking Clarke from her nervous spell.

 

Clearing her throat, Clarke turns to Octavia, “Um … pretty much all my life. From the time I was born, both my parents were in Alliance military. My childhood was spent on ships and stations as they transferred from posting to posting. The longest time I’ve stayed in one spot was about 5 years.” Clarke brushes her thumb against the binding of her sketchbook while reminiscing about her past.

 

“Wow … that must have been hard …” Octavia sympathizes.

 

“Yeah, it was hard to make friends sometimes, but I had lots of fun learning about military operations and ship maintenance.” Clarke smiles and tilts her head. “What about you?” She needs to stop being hyper aware of the stranger sitting next to her.

 

“Me? I’m pretty boring. I was born on Luna and lived in one of the localized terraformed colonies until 5 years ago. My parents found better work on Earth, so I ended up living in Atlanta for the past 5 years … now I guess I will live in D.C.”

 

They continue to chatter for a while, trading personal history and information about the Academy. It was not long before the hour and forty minutes flight is over. Clarke is surprised that she became much less aware of her stalkee, who ended up sleeping her way through the endless chatter. She wakes up just in time for unloading, Clarke is glad she did not have to wake the girl up. She could only steal glances at her side profile. 

 

The plane unloads a lot quicker than the loading part, which kind of disappoints because Clarke is enjoying the view of the stranger’s back. It’s so thin and willowy. She must be around Clarke’s age. With the trance continuing through the unloading process, Clarke is already out of the restricted area before she comes to her senses. 

 

Clarke turns to Octavia and offers a slight wave. “I guess I’ll see you at orientation, Octavia.”

 

“You betcha.” Octavia winks at her before going off toward a taller boy with moppy, curly hair. “Bell!” She jump-hugs him after dropping her baggage. 

 

Clarke secretly wishes someone was here to pick her up, but she is on her own in this endeavor.

 

“Lexa.” A female voice sounds off nearby.

 

Clarke looks over and sees a blonde with sharp cheekbones. She stands with her hands in her jacket’s pocket and a cold look on her face, which stands out in an airport where people part and reunite. The lack of emotion is a stark contrast to Octavia’s affectionate greeting. Clarke then notices the person that the blonde is addressing, her stalkee.

 

“Anya.” Lexa, the beautiful temporary subject of Clarke’s obsession, nods while mirroring Anya’s posture.

 

“About damn time you showed up. I’ve been waiting for the past 30 minutes.” Anya jerks her head toward the gate.

 

Lexa shrugs and follows Anya. As she passes Clarke, she side glances her and rolls her eyes. Clarke’s cheeks turn bright red as she go toward the baggage claim. “What’s wrong with me …” She sighs as she lament her new stalker status.

 

* * *

 

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to be here. I want to welcome you to the System Alliance Academy. Here you will choose which path to take to become who you are meant to be, a service member of one of the most respected militaries in the galaxy. Here you will hone your knowledge and skills to one day serve to serve and protect your home world. No matter where you came from … space, colony, or Texas …” That earned several snickers, though Clarke is not sure why, “Earth is your home …” The President of the Academy, Thelonius Jaha, drones on with his ‘motivational’ welcoming monologue while Clarke looks around at the various faces around her.

 

It was hard for Clarke to concentrate while realizing that this is the beginning of one of the most important chapters of her life. Today, she will embark on 2 years of basic training, 2 years of specialization training, and 2 years of shadowing. This is the place where all important military officers mark as their origin. Is this really what she wanted? Is this really where she is meant to be? Clarke exhales deeply and shakes her head lightly, this is not the time to doubt her choice. 

 

“Yawn …” The raven haired girl beside Clarke mutters under her breath as she scrapes under her fingernail.

 

Clarke looks over and meets her dark eyes with an understanding smile. 

 

Raven haired girl shrugs and pulls out a small notepad from one of the many pockets of her utility pants. _Hi, I’m Raven._ She hands the notepad and pen over to Clarke. How fitting for a raven haired girl to be called Raven.

 

_Hi Raven, I’m Clarke._

 

_What group will you be in? I’ll be in Group 5._

 

_How do you know that?_

 

 _That’s what the paper under our seats says._ Raven hands over a small piece of paper that had been taped under her seat. It says _‘Group 5.'_

 

With a slight frown, Clarke reaches under her seat and sure enough there is a piece of paper taped under it. She quietly pulls the paper off and looks to see ‘ _Group 10_ written on its face. She shows her paper to Raven, earning a slight shrug. 

 

 _How did you know to look there?_ Clarke writes as she is puzzled, since people do not randomly look under their seats.

 

 _They do this every year … everyone know that …_ Raven gives Clarke a strange look then motions for Clarke to look around her. People were looking at similar pieces of paper and sharing them with their neighbors. There was even a high-five between two boys sitting between two different rows. Guess they must be friends … Suddenly something hits Clarke in the back of her head. A balled up piece of paper.

 

Clarke turns around curiously before she notices Octavia waving discreetly at her from two rows back. Clarke has a friend too! This thought cause her to smile and wave back at her new friend. Octavia suddenly points to herself and flashes her hands up. Clarke is lost for a second before it dawns on her. Octavia is in Group 10 as well. This prospect excites her and she copies Octavia’s motion. She has a friend in the same group with her. Both girls are extremely animated as they clumsily try to sign each other, despite the glaring look from Octavia’s neighbor … Lexa from yesterday! 

 

Clarke’s stomach does a strange twist and she lowers her hands. Her smile slowly shrinks into a small frown before she turns back to facing the stage. What is she doing here? She is in the Academy? What group is she in? Does she hate me? Clarke continues her inner monologue for a few minutes before she gets a nudge from Raven. Everyone is starting to stand as the Alliance’s anthem starts to play after the conclusion of President Jaha’s speech. 

 

After the formality and announcements, everyone streams out of the David Anderson Auditorium while chatting excitedly with their friends. They are all talking about the group placements, supplies, professors, etc. While Clarke looks around for her new friend, Octavia, she loses sight of her seat neighbor, Raven. It would be good to have another friend in her year.

 

“Clarke! I’m so happy we’re going to be in the same group!” Octavia envelopes Clarke in a tight, excited hug while the blonde awkwardly pats her back. Clarke is not used to this much affection from anyone.

 

“Me, too.” Clarke replies with a slight smile as Octavia pulls away.

 

At that moment, the curly haired boy from yesterday approaches them. He is already in the dark blue formal uniform of an Alliance Cadet. “Hey O, are you ready to go grab your things?” He regards Clarke with a smile and a nod, “Hi. I’m Bellamy, Octavia’s brother. You must be Clarke …?”

 

“Bell here is a third year, already half way through his training.” Octavia smacks her brother’s arm with the back of her hand. “I told him how we met yesterday.”

 

Clarke smiles and offers her hand to shake Bellamy’s, “Hi Bellamy, nice to meet you.”

 

Bellamy shakes her hand and smiles in a friendly and charming manner. “If you’re not already heading there, want to go get supplies and uniforms with us?” He’s exactly the responsible and helpful big brother type that Clarke has always found attractive. She smiles as her cheeks color a little.

 

“Sure, if that’s okay with you guys.”

 

“Of course!” Octavia already links her arm with Clarke’s, “Let’s go before the line get too long.”

 

Together, the three make their way toward the Supply Room, which is perfectly described by its name. It holds all books, uniforms, and tools that cadets would need for their year. The line is already starting to snake around when they arrive. 

 

And OF COURSE! Lexa is already standing at the end of the line by the time they reach it. She is cool faced as usual, standing next to that blonde, Anya, and several other people. No matter how attractive the other people are, Clarke is immediately drawn to Lexa. What is it about this girl that has her so mesmerized? Despite her excitement about the possibility of seeing Lexa for the next few years, Clarke tries to hide behind Octavia and Bellamy to keep out of Lexa’s sight. She does not want to get accused of stalking before her school even start.

 

“What’s up, Clarke?” An unfamiliar voice speaks up behind Clarke.

 

“Oh, Raven. Hi!” Clarke smiles as she, too, is surrounded by friends. “I was looking for you when we dispersed.”

 

“Yeah, I had to go the bathroom. Drank too much coffee this morning.” Raven grins and then looks over to Octavia and Bellamy.

 

Clarke quickly introduces them to each other. Luckily, the line shortens as quickly as it builds, so they were done fairly quick. 

 

“How about we go to the cafeteria and grab some lunch? I know the orienteering is later this afternoon, but I could show you girls all the best places that aren’t on the official tour.” Bellamy offers with his signature handsome grin.

 

Clarke nods quickly in agreement and turns to Raven to see the other girl doing the same. “We would like that.”

 

“Awww, look at my cool big bro.” Octavia tip toes to ruffle Bellamy’s hair. “Way to charm them, bro!”

 

“Ugh, get off me! I’m just trying to be nice.” Bellamy laughs and swats away Octavia’s hand. “C’mon let’s get some grub. I’m hungry!”

 

Clarke smiles to herself and is thankful for new friends to ease her into this year. It has been so hard to make friends without knowing when she would have to leave them again. Everyone says they would keep in touch while knowing it would not last long. Clarke is happy to know that she would keep these guys for at least another 6 years. That is good enough for her.


	2. The First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke has an interesting first day at the Alliance Academy.

“Excuse me!”

 

<Whoosh whoosh> 

 

“Pardon!”

 

<Whoosh whoosh>

 

Clarke Griffin dodges left and right as she weaves her way through the crowd of Alliance cadets loitering in front of the entrance to the Hawking Building.  There is a cacophony of excited voices, the wind whooshing across her ears, and the heavy thumps of her heartbeats. Clarke pushes her way through the glass double doors and into the tall structure that houses most of the Academy’s core classes.

 

The Hawking Building is one of the tallest buildings on campus at 55 floors made of glass and steel, with a maximum occupancy rate of 4,800 people. There are always classes, conferences, meetings, etc. happening in the building. And now, Clarke is trying to get into one of its many elevators so she could get to one of such classes on time. The first day of class and she is already late. 

 

Why did she forget to unpack her alarm clock? Why did she not set an alarm on the Omni-tool? Why is this elevator so freaking slow? Is it stopping at every floor? All these questions race through her mind as she rapidly and impatiently press the call button for the elevator. 

 

_Ding!_ A soft sound causes Clarke’s ears to prick up. “Where is it … the other side!” Clarke almost shoulder check another cadet as she rushes to the other side of the building, where another set of elevators sit.

 

As Clarke makes a desperate dash, she could see people streaming into the elevators. “Shit! Shit! Shit!” There may not be enough space for her!

 

The door starts to close as Clarke nears her destination, “Hold it, please! Hold it!” She calls out to the last person who boarded the elevator.

 

A familiar pair of cold gray-green eyes stare into Clarke’s blue ones as their owner press the “Close” button. The shock stops Clarke in her track. Lexa gets to witness Clarke’s expression turn from surprise to annoyance. _That Lexa bitch is a bitch!_ That does not even make sense, but Clarke is too angry to properly cuss someone out inside her head. 

 

Just then, another _Ding!_ sounds off … on the other side of the building, where Clarke was waiting so impatiently before.

 

“FFFFFFF …” Clarke saves her breath and dashes back to her original spot. This time she makes it into the metal box in the nick of time. As she tries to catch her breath, she makes up her mind that she would have a word with Lexa the next time she sees her. “I’ll give her a piece of my mind …”

 

* * *

 

Who would have thought that Clarke’s reunion with Lexa would be so soon?

 

Clarke’s annoying stalkee is sitting right in front of her, smirking like she had done something outrageously brilliant, while Clarke is standing at attention in front of the entire group. She was barely two minutes late, but was instructed to stand in front of her group while the teacher takes attendance. Clarke tries to ignore the snickers of the other cadets and Octavia’s pitying look. Instead, she stares straight into Lexa’s eyes without reservation. She wants to say, ‘You did this to me, asshole.’

 

“Alright. All of Group 10 is present and accounted for.” The teacher closes her attendance tab on her Omni-tool. “My name is Indra. Just Indra. I am the advisor for Group 10 and I will teach some of your core courses through out the years that you are here.” She casts her eyes over to Clarke.

 

Indra is a woman in her thirties. She has dark chocolate skin and coffee colored eyes. Her hair is kept short, exposing the scars that lead to her face. There is a prominent scar that runs the length of her left cheek, making her look like a seasoned warrior. While Indra’s physique is hidden under normal staff uniform of dark blue, she looks like she could take anyone if not all of them in the room in a fight.

 

Clarke swallows and nods. She respects a woman in a power position. One cannot get that intimidating just by teaching. This woman has seen some major fights.

 

“This is your group mate …” Indra motions for Clarke to continue.

 

“Clarke. Clarke Griffin.” Clarke clears her throat and feels awkward as all eyes are on her. There must be around thirty pairs of curious eyes around the room.

 

“Well, Clarke Griffin. Please elaborate for the class why you were late this morning?” 

 

“I have no excuse. I didn’t set my alarm and then I got lost getting here … ”

 

“Hmm. Those sound like excuses to me …” Lexa spoke with a matter-of-factly tone. 

 

Clarke stares daggers at Lexa. How could someone so attractive be such a jerk?

 

“Enough, Griffin.” Indra eyes Lexa and then Clarke, “Remember that there are no excuses when you are late to a rendezvous point and your team is discovered by the enemy. Just like there are no excuses to arrive late to class. The penalty is 10 pushups for each minute you are late, after the third time, you will be running 1 lap around campus for each minute you are late.” Indra does not go into what happens after the third time, but Clarke is sure that it must be expulsion.

 

Clarke turns to look at Indra while the older woman looks expectantly at her. “Uh … 20 push ups?” What the hell?! For two minutes late on the first day?

 

Indra nods. “Twenty push ups.”

 

_Fuck me._ Clarke groans inwardly but does not show it on her face. She drops her backpack and gets into position before starting the punishment. In her head, she is cursing Indra and Lexa to oblivion and back. Damn, she is such a weakling because by the time she is done with the twenty push ups, her arms are starting to ache.

 

“You may go to your seat.” Indra dismisses her with a wave before starting her presentation on a screen in front of the room. Clarke huffs and quickly gathers her bag before making quick strides to the seat that Octavia saved for her. She does not forget to give Lexa another stare of death.

 

“Sorry, Clarke …” Octavia whispers empathetically, but all Clarke could do is nod in acknowledgement. She is silently swallowing her anger before it explode into something she will regret.

 

Indra wastes no more time, “Alright people, so you already know that you are in Group 10, but do you know the purpose of breaking cadets up into group of thirty like this?” She looks around the room at all the fresh, young faces before she continues with her orientation. The groups are like homeroom, giving each cadets are set of familiar faces and a group leader for support. Then, then she goes on to go over the rules and regulations. No alcohol. No drugs. Etc. 

 

Afterwards she gives explanations of courses and a brief introduction to class specializations, which they will choose in their third year. Soon, she sends out individualized schedules to each cadets’ Omnitool. 

 

Clarke scans over the the list, which makes her sigh inwardly. It is to be expected of THE military school of military schools. If she wants to make it to the top, she has to take this seriously and that includes excelling at everything on this ridiculous schedule.

 

“Bright and early, you will start physical training. Then on to your morning classes. After lunch, your afternoon classes. After break, you will have tactical training. After dinner, it will be revision time and then lights out.” Indra walks around the classroom with her hands clasped behind her back.

 

“You are not permitted off campus unless authorized by myself or another official. You have uniforms for normal days, gym clothes, and formal ones for special events, wear them. Civilian clothes are not allowed. Personal grooming and physical appearance must be maintained. If you have any questions about piercing or any sort of body modification, you may ask me … and the answer will be no.” 

 

Clarke is thankful that Sunday is listed as rest day after physical training.

 

 Indra walks past Clarke’s seat and continues to the front. “In a week’s time, you will vote for your group leader.” Her eyes fall on Lexa. “Take this time to get to know your group mates and decide who you would vote for.” Clarke wonders why Indra and Lexa are looking like they know each other. She grits her teeth thinking about favoritism since Lexa probably made it just a minute or so before her. 

 

“While you all have each other’s dossier, you still need to make an effort to get to know each other. You will be each other’s support and competition in the next 4 years. Keep your friends close and rivals even closer. At this time, I would like each of you to introduce yourself to the group.” Indra nods to Lexa, who rises and stands at attention with her hands clasped behind her back. 

 

“My name is Alexandria Woods. You may call me Lexa.” Her green eyes level around the room. “I aim to be then Group 10 Leader and would like your vote in a week’s time. My long term goal is to be Chancellor of the Alliance. Let me know if you have any question.” She reveals nothing other than her name and her goals. Yet, she looks around the room as if they all should understand that she is the only one worthy.

 

Clarke studies the multilayered braids at the back of Lexa’s head when the girl sat back down. _How could some be so confident, annoying, and hot at the same time? This crush has got to stop_ is what Clarke keeps repeating to herself. This infatuation is going to cause Clarke some major headache.

 

After half the class, including Octavia, has gone it is Clarke’s turn. She stands up as if she has been doing this all her life, which she has. “Hi, my name is Clarke Griffin. I’m a Spacer. I’ve lived on ships all my life. I came to the Academy to be the best of Alliance Military and by working together, I know we can make a change in the world … no, the galaxy.” Clarke keeps her voice light and steady even though she is feeling rather nervous. She nods to Indra before sitting down. 

 

After that, the second half of class introduce themselves, Indra claps her hands together for their attention.

 

“You are dismissed for today. Physical training will start tomorrow at 5 AM in the East Gym 3.” Indra drones and Clarke’s attention starts to drift until she catches the professor’s stare. “Tardiness will not be tolerated.” The woman’s eyes bore into her own, but Clarke stares back defiantly. She does not cower from confrontation. It was one time. Clarke makes a promise to herself that she would never be late again. “Truancy will not be tolerated.” Indra moves to the front of the classroom, “We will begin and end our meetings with salutes from now on.”

 

The cadets rise from their seat and salutes Indra, who salutes back. “Dismiss.”

 

Clarke stares at the back of Lexa’s head as she tries to push past the group of people to get to the other girl. She wants to have a word with her before this misunderstanding get more out of hand. However, as she tries to rush to the front of the room, Octavia’s hand catches her shoulder. “Want to join me for lunch?” The brunette smiles with a cute twinkle in her eyes.

 

“Uh …” Clarke turns toward the front again, but Lexa is already at the doorway. “Sure …” She nods while Octavia gives her a puzzled look. Clarke sighs inwardly again, knowing that the longer she drags it out the harder it will be to set things straight with Lexa.

 

* * *

 

 

The lunch lines in the mess hall are long. Why they call it a mess hall is beyond Clarke since this building is so shiny and gleaming, she could practically eat off the floors. There are long tables and aluminum benches all around the hall, it could fit several hundred people easily. The options today are chicken, fish, or vegetarian with sides and a dessert. They are the typical lunch options of any  cafeteria.

 

While in line for the lemon chicken with wild rice pilaf, Clarke relays her morning misadventure to Octavia, leaving out the details about her possibly stalking the girl. She is glad to have a friend to air her grievances. “And then she smirked at me when I got punished.” 

 

“She sounds like a character.” Octavia says with a little smile. “How do you think we should get her back?”

 

Clarke’s eyes widen and she shakes her head. “I don’t want to get her back … I just want to talk to her about whatever misunderstanding there could be …” Like how Clarke is not a stalker.

 

“I don’t know, she sounds like the snobby mean girl type. I don’t think talking about it will get to her.” Octavia picks up her tray of food after Clarke has gotten hers.

 

“Yeah, but I at least want to try … OOOH! Cupcakes!” Clarke’s eyes light up as she makes her way to the dessert section. Not much selection here, either cupcake, fruit, or jello. “The last one!”

 

As Clarke starts to bounce toward the last cupcake, things start to happen in slow motion again. Lexa appears in Clarke’s peripheral vision, with her eyes on the same prize. Clarke almost collide against Lexa as the brunette snatches up the last cupcake from its shelf. “Hey! That’s mine!” Clarke huffs, “I saw it first!”

 

Lexa’s gorgeous … no, evil green eyes stare into Clarke’s angry blue orbs. “Okay.” The taller girl shrugs and takes a big bite out the cupcake before putting it in Clarke’s tray. “I saw it second, so you get to have the bigger piece.” 

 

Clarke is stunned. Stunned from Lexa’s brazenness. Stunned by the full weight of Lexa’s attention. Stunned by the way Lexa’s pink tongue is licking the frosting from her pillowy lips. “Listen here you …”

 

Lexa turns on her heels and walks away before Clarke has a chance to finish her sentence.

 

“Are you okay?” Octavia returns from the salad bar to find a frozen Clarke staring at a half-eaten cupcake.

 

“That bosh’tet* stole my CUPCAKE!” Clarke growls, causing several pairs of eyes to fall upon her. 

 

“Who?” Octavia looks around for the culprit.

 

Clarke doesn’t reply. She picks up the half-eaten cupcake and stares at it. She hates Lexa’s guts just as much as she hates herself for wanting to finish the rest of this cupcake. Angrily, she tosses it into the closest trash can and pick up a yellow cup of jello from the shelf. She stomps out of the food area and follows Octavia to the table where Bellamy and his friends are already seated.

 

“That Lexa is such a bitch!” Clarke sets her food tray down with a heave thud, causing the rest of the table to look up at her in surprised unison.

 

“Who?” Bellamy knits his brows together quizzically.

 

“This girl in our group,” Octavia explains when Clarke just huffs in anger, “supposedly …”

 

Clarke shoots her a look, “Not supposedly, actually!”

 

Octavia rolls her eyes, “Lexa closed the elevator doors when Clarke was running late, causing her to be late for class … Clarke had to do 20 push-ups.”

 

“And just now she took the last of the cupcakes!” Clarke picks up her jello cup with a frown, “I’m stuck with this lemon flavored goop.”

 

“You know they’ll bring out more in a little bit, right?” Bellamy asks with one brow raised and an amused smile.

 

“Oh … but still!” Clarke is not ready to let go of her annoyance.

 

Bellamy laughs and puts down his fork. Turning to his friends at the table, he motions to the two girls. “Everyone, this is Octavia, my little sister, and Clarke, her angry little friend.” 

 

Everyone’s eyes are upon them. Octavia waves shyly and smiles, “Hi, I’m Octavia, Bellamy’s awesome sister.”

 

Clarke had forgotten that she does not know anyone at the table other than the Blakes, so suddenly she turns red at her earlier outburst. Her ears are hot as she waves at them, “Hi, I’m Clarke. Octavia’s awesome friend … sorry about that …” She looks around to see smiling and chuckling faces.

 

Going around the table, they takes turn to introduce themselves. All are third years. There is Gina, Bellamy’s girlfriend, who is specializing as an Engineer. Murphy, who looks disinterested and cocky, and Emori, Murphy’s girlfriend, specialize in as Infiltrators. Miller, who is Bellamy’s best friend, and Bryan, Miller’s boyfriend, are specialized as Adepts. 

 

“I’m terrible with faces and names, so I may have to ask your names again in the near future.” Clarke sits down and offers an apologetic smile, “Sorry in advance.”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Gina smiles and motions toward Bellamy, “This guy couldn’t remember my name for a month straight even though we had the same engineering class together every day.”

 

Bellamy finishes his water and shakes his head, “I was just looking for an excuse to talk to you.” He flashes his signature grin and looks a little boyish. “So I asked your name over and over until you started to miss me asking you for it.” They stare into each other’s eyes and smile as if the world has faded away. 

 

Or at least until Murphy makes a gagging noise, making everyone at the table laugh. He looks to Emori, who strokes his cheek with approval.

 

“How did you and Emori become a couple?” Octavia asks.

 

“Hmm … good question … are we a couple?” Murphy looks at Emori, who returns his gaze.

 

“Nope.” Emory grins. “We’re a duo. A dynamic duo.” She laughs and leans in to kiss the tip of his sharp nose. “It’s us against the world.”

 

Miller motions toward the two, “They are specialists in pranking and general mischiefs.”

 

Murphy winks at him before taking a bite of his lunch.

 

“Speaking of that, how do you think we should get this Lexa back?” Bellamy looks to Clarke, who stops eating a moment to shake her head.

 

“That’s exactly what I asked!” Octavia laughs and high-fives her brother.

 

“I don’t want to make it worse since we will be in the same group for a while. I want to talk it out with her first.” Clarke, hoping to change the topic, turns to Bryan and Miller. “How did you guys get together?”

 

Bryan smiles and leans against Miller a little. “We are childhood friends. Our families own some farm stations outside Nebraska so we met when we were kids. He asked me to a town dance when we were ten …”

 

“When I applied to the Academy, I asked Bryan to come with me. Thank the Maker he agreed.” Miller continues.

 

A round of aww’s erupt from the table while Bryan and Miller plant a chaste kiss on each other’s lips. Clarke likes them. She never had such an easy introduction before. When her parents moved around for their posts, the first day was always her most dreaded day. It usually takes weeks before Clarke finds a friend or two to sit with at lunchtime. When she managed to integrate into a group this size, she would have to uproot again for another posting.

 

Somehow, between her reminiscing and chatter, Clarke’s gaze fall on Lexa once again. The brunette is sitting several tables away along with the blonde, Anya, and several people whom Clarke did not recognize. Laughter, smiles, and the general easy-going feeling are missing from Lexa’s table. They are eating and talking as if they were in deep discussion at a war table. Occasionally, Lexa would nod or frown at whatever was said. 

 

“Ahem …” Bellamy clears his throat.

 

Clarke snaps her attention back to him, realizing that she must have gone quiet while she watched Lexa’s table. 

 

“That’s Lexa.” Octavia nods toward the focus of Clarke’s attention.

 

“And that’s Anya sitting next to her.” Gina says in a tone that indicates some resentment.

 

“Who’s she?” Clarke has been highly curious about Lexa’s constant companion.

 

“She’s the leader of my group.” Gina sighs, “If not the entire third year group as a whole. Always making top marks. Perfect in everything she does. Legendary tactician, blah blah blah. She’s supposedly going far after graduation. Most importantly of all, she’s a stone cold bitch.”

 

“Anya has the highest score in all simulations, shooting practices, etc. She rarely speaks to anyone outside of her little group. If that first year, Lexa, is friends with her, Lexa maybe someone you need to watch out for.” Miller gathers things onto his tray. “Alright guys, I’m off to get some modifications done with my implants.”

 

On cue, Bryan rises to join his boyfriend. “Nice to meet you, Octavia and Clarke.” 

 

“Bye, see you guys around.” Clarke and Octavia wave to them.

 

Clarke wants to ask more about Anya, but soon everyone else has to go do their thing. Third years are busy, they do not have the pleasure of an easy first day. They are already hitting the ground running. Octavia and Clarke are left to make their way back to their dormitory building before parting ways to separate floors. 

 

* * *

 

Closing the door behind her, Clarke slips out of her shoes and kicks them to the side before going into her room. Having just unpacked a day earlier, her room is still a little barren. In the closet hangs several pairs of uniform that are neatly pressed. There is a bed, night stand, sofa, chair, workstation, and bathroom. It’s pretty standard officer quarter on a starship. The window looks out to the running track. Thank goodness there is a balcony for fresh air, unlike being on a ship. Living high up on the thirteenth floor has its advantage, a major one being the view.

 

Since the day is still early, Clarke opens the phone application on her Omnitool and searches for her mom’s contact number. She does not have that many contacts saved, so it make for a rather quick search. Right now, her mother is being stationed as Medical Chief on the SSV Arkadia, which is a cruiser currently patrolling the moon.

 

The quiet beep announces that the line is being established.

 

“This is Jenna Thompson, Communication Officer for the SSV Arkadia, please state your name and business.” The image of a blonde woman comes on the project screen of Clarke’s Omnitool.

 

“This is Clarke Griffin requesting a secure line to my mother, Medical Chief Abigail Griffin.” 

 

“Roger that. Please stand by while the request is being processed.” The woman’s image disappear, leaving only an intermittent beep to let Clarke know she is waiting. Clarke is not planning to discuss anything important with her mother. She just prefers a secure line so people won’t be listening into her conversation or be able to review it later. 

 

A few seconds later, an older woman comes to the screen. She is wearing the typical white coat of a doctor, which is something most people doesn’t do anymore. But Abby Griffin is not most people.

 

“Hi, honey.” Abby smiles and waves at her daughter. “How are you doing?”

 

“Great, Mom.” Clarke returns her smile. “Just had my first day today, so I wanted to call you.”

 

“I’m glad you did!”

 

“How are you doing?”

 

“I’m well. Just the usual patrol, so it’s been quiet for the most part. The only injuries around here are from slip and fall or macho guys trying to lift too much at once.” Abby chatter on about some of the soldiers’ mishaps in operating equipments around the ship. “I don’t know how these people got cleared for duty just to end up in the med-bay again the next day.”

 

“Maybe they just wanted to see the hot doctor?” Clarke grins when her mother rolled her eyes.

 

“Enough about me, what about you? How was the first day? Is it everything you had hoped for?” 

 

That is a loaded question, but Clarke just grins and brushes it off. “Yeah. So far so good. I made new friends and is in group 10, if that means anything.”

 

“Did you know that they break you into groups for a reason?”

 

“Yeah for support or whatever.”

 

“No … that’s the official line, but in reality, there is a purpose.”

 

“Mom, get on with it, don’t drag it out!”

 

“Before you came to the academy, you took physical and psychological evaluations as well as a standardized exam. Based on the outcome of each evaluation, they have already predicted your predisposition for certain classes. So they grouped you into a group that is most like you … so they can evaluate your performance against similar individuals.”

 

“You’re telling me that from the day I started applying for this academy, my future has already been set?” Clarke feels something stuck in her throat as a sense of panic washes over her. What if she didn’t do well enough? What if she is going to be stuck doing something she doesn’t want to do? 

 

“Not exactly … but that is the gist of it.”

 

“How is this even possible? Do I not get a choice in my own future?”

 

“No, Clarke. You did have a choice … if you hadn’t …”

 

“Don’t start that again, Mom.”

 

“Clarke, you had a bright future ahead of you … I just …”

 

“Don’t just!” Clarke can hear the strain in her voice. She presses her lips together and tells herself to reign her anger in. “I can’t start that with you again.” She gives Abby a warning look.

 

“Clarke, you know I only want the best for you. I know you. This is not the life you want for yourself …”

 

“Dad wanted it.”

 

“And look where it got him.” Abby gasps and covers her mouth the moment those words fell out of her mouth.

 

Clarke stares at the image of her mother for a moment, debating whether or not to respond.

 

“Clarke, no … I’m sor-“

 

Clarke cuts the line and curls her fists tightly. She looks up at the sky, trying not to tear up, but it’s too late for that. As soon as the first tear drops, the next ones start streaming down her face. She couldn’t fight this anger and sadness anymore. Taking a deep breath, she wipes her tears and steps back into the room and changes into her clothes. Running should keep her mind occupied for a little while.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *bosh’tet - Quarian curse/insult, likely being relative to "son-of-a-bitch" or "bastard"  
> *Mass Effect Classes:  
> Soldier - Combat Specialist  
> Adept - Biotic Specialist  
> Engineer - Tech Specialist  
> Vanguard - Biotic/Combat  
> Sentinel - Biotic/Tech  
> Infiltrator - Tech/Combat
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you find mistakes/misspelling in the paragraphs. I have read over it too many times, everything is a blur now. Feedback is greatly welcomed and appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fan fiction in the 100-verse. I felt so desperate for a happier ending following episode 307 that I started binging on fanfics. Thank you to all the authors who helped me through this difficult time with their beautiful stories. I started replaying Mass Effect, so I figured I'd throw in my story. I hope it can help someone else like I was helped. Thanks for reading and please comment!


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